1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein disclosed relates to an apparatus for use in positioning and in facilitating the uniform mounting of electrical outlet and switching boxes to standard construction supports such as studs or joists in a manner such that, when mounted, the outer periphery of each such box is displaced from the outward side of a support at a prescribed distance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art inventions for positioning electrical boxes, generally as described, are disclosed in the following U.S. patents: Barnett U.S. Pat. No. 1,850,616, issued Mar. 22, 1932; Phair U.S. Pat. No. 2,919,913, issued Jan. 5, 1960; Briggs U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,798, issued Oct. 18, 1960; Gianotta U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,172, issued Jun. 27, 1961; Estep U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,386, issued Aug. 24, 1971; Tande U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,372, issued Jan. 13, 1987; Ericksen U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,271, issued Jun. 14, 1988; Warren U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,391, issued Jan. 2, 1990; Milichichi, et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,247, issued Nov. 26, 1991; and Gehen U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,593, issued May 2, 1992.
Generally, the prior art includes devices which suffer from a variety of practical and cost-based disadvantages when compared to the compact, relatively inexpensive and easy to use device of the present invention.
When using many of the prior art devices, the worker is required to individually calibrate a plurality of set screws and clamping means to set the amount the box to be mounted outwardly from the face of a stud to a desired distance and to adjust the height of a box to a desired elevation. These prior art devices involve many moving parts, most of which require adjustment during normal use. Invariably, these factors render the devices comparatively expensive to manufacture and cumbersome to use (i.e. numerous set screws must be adjusted and readjusted when changed height and depth requirements arise). Furthermore, the size of the devices, particularly when a height adjusting means of beyond a couple of feet is required, renders some of the devices bulky and inconvenient to transport and store.
Although some other devices in the prior art are more compact, these devices suffer from many of the same disadvantages that characterize the majority of the prior art devices. For example, the cost of manufacture, due to the number of its moving parts and use of springs will be comparatively high. Further, some of these prior art devices are also deficient in that its design allows for only one depth setting.
The aforementioned devices illustrate that the art has lacked an uncomplicated, durable and relatively inexpensive device for use in enabling a worker to efficiently position electrical boxes at uniform but readily variable heights and depths about a structure.
The invention disclosed herein provides a device which achieves these advantages in a manner not revealed by the prior art.